At least 54 people were injured and 18 others remained missing after an explosion tore through a factory in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City late Sunday, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
The blast occurred in Ras Laffan, home to Qatar’s principal natural gas export terminal located about 80 kilometres north of Doha. Authorities said the explosion resulted from what was described as a technical incident.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Interior Ministry said search and rescue operations were underway to locate the missing individuals, while emergency response teams continued their work at the site.
Earlier, authorities said no leaks posing a threat to public safety had been detected following the explosion.
Ras Laffan was previously targeted by Iran during the war and remained closed for several weeks afterward. Qatari authorities said the latest blast occurred while workers were attempting to resume operations at the Barzan gas plant.
